Featured Venue: The Hill

Unique historical charm and natural scenery make The Hill in Athens, Georgia one of the area’s most captivating event locations. Four period furnished homes have been artfully preserved creating a true architectural treasure amidst idyllic surroundings located a few miles from downtown Athens. For your next event, take a step back into time and enjoy this traditional southern retreat filled with charm and heritage.

Venue rental includes:
• Restrooms in main house during event
• House for dressing rooms
• Swimming pool and surrounding patios
• Parking
• Sunken garden ceremony area
• Reception area
• No additional fee for access to grounds for advance set-up

The Sunken Garden Ceremony Site

Sunken Garden Before the Ceremony

Looking Down from the Back Porch of the Donald Epting House

The Backyard

The Main House on The Hill -- Donald Epting House

Wedding Reception in front of the Donald Epting House

In addition to being a stunning backdrop for wedding ceremonies; receptions, these homes are available as rental accommodations on both a short and long term basis. Each home is equipped with a fully functional kitchen, wireless internet connection, cable television and wood burning fireplaces. Enjoy a cocktail on your own private porch, while taking in the tranquil surroundings.

• The Rock House, circa 1920 – a quaint stone cottage. Features cozy bedrooms, two bathrooms –one with a claw foot bath tub, a kitchenette and a fireplace in the living room.

The Rock House

• The Armstrong & Dobbs House – featuring the 1800 master bedroom, din¬ing room, a formal parlor and casual living and kitchen area opening to the large porch. All on the first floor, this house is perfect for entertaining a crowd. Upstairs you will enjoy two large bedrooms, both equipped with spa-tubs in their spacious bathrooms. This home has six fireplaces.

• The Quinn Cottage, circa 1930– a three bedroom bungalow nestled in the trees, with a wonderful sitting porch looking out on the field. This home features a kitchen, dining room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fireplace in the living room.

The Hill was is also featured in the upcoming movie Not Since You.

If you’re attending a wedding at the Hill, the address is 1800 Crescent Lane, Athens, GA 30607. Look for a little white sign at the end of the driveway that says “the Hill”. Then follow the parking signs to the designated lot.

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Ashley Epting: CEO of Epting Events and Executive Producer of Not Since You

Ashley Cameron Epting

A native Athenian, Ashley Epting is an entrepreneur and filmmaker who strives to improve the culture and community of his home. With lifelong colleagues, friends, and family, he navigates multiple endeavors and businesses including: Epting Events, Center Stage Catering at The Classic Center, Harry’s Pig Shop, The Hill Properties, & Epting Productions. He is a sponsor and board member of both the Robert Osborne Classic Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival; Epting facilitates the majority of events including the festival’s annual opening party. In addition, he also serves on the boards of both the Athens Music & Entertainment Association and the Athens Film Arts Institute.

On the route to his roll as Executive Producer Ashley Epting graduated from the Gallatin School at New York University where he studied film production and dramatic writing at the Tisch School of the Arts. He has worked in film and event management in New York, Alabama, Georgia, Colorado, and California. Epting’s love for place and story evolved while on Semester at Sea while circumnavigating the globe. He shares his love for this experience by holding his place as the Georgia Chapter Representative on the Alumni Board of Directors.

Ashley served as the Festival Coordinator for the Sidewalk Festival in Alabama, and worked on the Academy Award Nominated short Johnny Flynton. This facilitated his move to Los Angeles where he worked as a development assistant with Akiva Goldsman’s production company, Weed Road Pictures.

Ashley is most proud of helping to bring a production to Athens, Georgia, Not Since You, which is a romantic drama about college friends who graduated from NYU. The group finds themselves in Athens, GA for a weekend wedding. The film was produced on the Epting’s property and throughout the Athens area. Ashley was pleased to showcase his unique and beautiful town. Not Since You is the first movie to actually take place in Athens, and not just be filmed here. The movie will debut April 2-15 at Ciné in Athens, GA.

He looks forward to his next project; a television series inspired by the Athens music scene and the UGA Terry College Music Business Program.

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All About Lee Epting

Lee Erwin Epting

A native Athenian, Lee Epting has influenced and helped shape the local community for decades. After transferring from Athens High School, Lee graduated from the Darlington School in Rome Georgia. He studied his freshman and sophomore years at Emory University before returning to Athens to complete his BBA from the University of Georgia in 1967.

His interest in the food industry began while at Darlington, where he volunteered as a bus boy in order to get his shot at a few, uneaten, fried shrimp returned to the kitchen. In college, he joined Phi Delta Theta at Emory, he began running the fraternity kitchen as a business. He catered his first reception for author Erskine Caldwell and fed 125 fraternity brothers three meals a day. This continued at the Georgia chapter and eventually expanded into creating theme parties.

In 1970, Lee restored the Old Southern Depot in Athens, known as “the Station”. This was the beginning of many Athens’ unique businesses such as Aurum Studios, The Grit, Shields Realty, and the noted T.K. Hardy’s Saloon. Lee and his partners also opened his first restaurant, The Valdosta Dining Car, a nightclub called, The Cabaret and The Circus—Athens’ first disco.

Two major bicentennial projects for Lee and his wife, Bobbie, began in 1976. They moved to Chapel Hill, NC, and restored the Southern Depot, opened the second Station restaurant and had a bicentennial son, Ashley.

A year later, Lee sold The Station restaurants and began Lee Epting Catering. He balanced his off premise venture while also managing the restaurant, banquet facilities and the famous Frog Pond Lounge, for the equally famous, Leroy Dukes of the Ramada Inn.

The catering business began with Lee, a cook and a bartender, which has now expanded in its new inception as Epting Events and currently employs 75 employees. With son Ashley, Lee started Center Stage Catering to handle the food service for the Athens Classic Center, serving Athenians and visitors with the same attention and care that client’s of Epting Events enjoy. After hiring executive director, Russel Stalvey, Center Stage Catering has grown in size and reputation as one of the finest hospitality companies in the state.

Lee has major outside interest in historic preservation and he has served as a trustee for the Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation while moving and restoring 14 historic homes in and around Athens, several with his second son, Daniel. Eight houses comprise what is known at “The Hill”, and orphanage for endangered houses. Four of these are used to host weddings, special events, business retreats and are rented for both short and long term guest housing.

Lee has been a long-time member of First Presbyterian Church and Lee also supports many local causes and events such as: the Harvest Moon Land Trust Dinner, the Northeast Georgia Food Bank, Darius Goes West, the Osborne Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Unitarian Fellowship Local Dinner, Oconee Hill Cemetery, the Georgia Museum, the Georgia Production Partnership, the UGA Law School Scholarship event, the Athens Historical Society and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.

Last year, he opened Harry’s Pig Shop; a restaurant in the Homewood Hills Shopping Center off Jefferson Rd. Harry’s has already been marked on every pork lover’s compass.

His latest venture is the movie Not Since You premiering April 2-15 at Ciné, which was filmed at the Hill and set in Athens.

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Phenomenal Parties: Gwinnett Medical Center Cornerstone Society Gala 2010

We were so proud to help design the Annual Gwinnett Medical Center Cornerstone Society Gala for the second year in a row! Our own Bethany Dodson, planned for months on how to transform an empty jet hanger into a beautiful southern garden. We used soft sheer draping to divide the hanger into cozy lounge areas, a dining room & a sexy nightclub!

As you’ll see, lighting is an easy way to make a dramatic impact on a space. We shone twisting branch patterns on the 18 foot walls and spot lit our giant magnolia treees with warm ambers and cool blue tones. Limelight, played in front of a lattice backdrop, while the guests danced on a crimson, brick patio floor.

Using iron fencing around the lounge furniture, helped to reiterate that garden feel. Blue hydrangeas adorned the working iron fountain that served as our main focal point as guests arrived.

Check out this video to see the whole process from start to finish!

Click Here for Video

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Look Ahead: Gwinnett Medical Center Time-Lapse Video

Check back on Friday for the time-lapse video of the Gwinnett Medical Center Annual Gala at the Georgia Jet Hangar created by Katie Selvey, one of our event coordinators!

Before:

After:

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Featured Venues: Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Rooftop

The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Rooftop is the perfect setting for your next party. The rooftop overlooks downtown Atlanta and the Centennial Olympic Park. The pavilion can hold 200 people Theater-Style, 300 people Reception style, and 130 people Banquet Seating.

To rent the Rooftop for your next event please contact Katie Grosshans at 404.586.8534. For more pictures please visit their Flicker Page.

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Piedmont Gardeners’ Seventeenth Annual Garden Tour of Athens

Piedmont Gardeners’ Tour of Athens

Saturday, April 17, 2010
10:00 A.M. to 4 P.M. Rain or Shine

This year’s tour invites you to visit the beautiful gardens of Magdalena Williams; Mary and Charlie Weiland; Patti and Charlie Burch; John Knowlton; and Lee Epting.

The Piedmont Gardeners are involved with several projects relating to gardening throughout Athens, particularly the garden needs at Athens Welcome Center. Proceeds from the tours directly benefit the Athens community.

Tickets are available at: Thomas Orchards and Nursery; Athens Seed, Lawn and Garden; Cofer’s Home and Garden Showplace, European Floral Design; Southern Comforts; and Weekend A’Fair for $10 advance purchase.

They are also available the day of the tour for $15 at the gardens.

Lee Epting's Main House on the Hill

Spring Flowers at Lee's House -- The Hill

The Rock House on Lee's Property

For more information, contact Jeannie Ellington at 706.543.4684 or rellington9@charter.net

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Refreshing Cocktails Recipes Created by Harry’s own, Emmanuel Stone

Some of the boys from Harry’s enjoyed the first, sunny Sunday in a while at Oak Meadows Farm, home of Emmanuel Stone, Harry’s head chef and one of the partners. They were busy practicing for the upcoming cornhole tournament at Loco’s on March 28, 2010. In order to fully enjoy their afternoon in the sun, Emmanuel created some cocktails for the perfect afternoon, Latin Gin Fizzes and Orange Marmalade Martinis.

Latin Gin Fizz:
1 oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Freshly, Squeezed Lime Juice
4 thin slices of Serrano Pepper
5 to 7 Cilantro Leaves
1 ½ oz. Gin (He recommends Plymouth)
1 ½ oz. Club Soda
A glass of Ice

Lightly muddle simple syrup, lime juice, Serrano pepper and cilantro.
Top with gin and club soda.
Add ice and stir.

Orange Marmalade Martini:
1 ½ oz. Gin
1 TBSP Orange Marmalade
¾ of oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
2 Dashes Orange Bitters (He recommends Regan’s No. 6)
Ice

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled, cocktail glass.

These refreshing, weekend cocktails are a great way to enjoy your afternoon on a farm or at your next dinner party.

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The Noller Wedding Story

Brad and Jenny Johnson

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Brad Johnson and Jenny Noller met simply by pure luck after Thanksgiving dinner in Southern Pines, NC. Jenny and her family were visiting close friends, and Brad was with family in Southern Pines. After dinner, Brad’s friends left him and he thought he knew someone at Jenny’s table. Jenny said they hit it off from the first word. Four years later they married, but certainly not without a fitting proposal first.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

The two took a Christmas vacation trip to China for two weeks; traveling from Beijing to Shanghai. While in Beijing, the couple hiked the farthest section of the Great Wall, the Simatai, with some friends they met along the way. During the four hour, 6.5 mile hike, Brad proposed with the beautiful view in the background.

After they returned from China, and shared the great news with family and friends the wedding planning began. Beverly Noller, mother of the bride, phoned Lee Epting of Epting Events in Athens, GA to come to Macon, GA and help plan her daughter’s dream wedding at their family farm. Jenny had grown up on the farm, and decided long ago that she wanted to have a home wedding.

During the planning, Jenny and Brad were in Argentina for the summer, leaving Lee and Beverly to work through the logistics.

Jenny wanted to be married in the yard under their old pergola, a cocktail hour following the ceremony, a 300 person seated dinner (without the typical menu of filet and salmon) and dancing till midnight.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

The ceremony and dinner were held in the Noller’s yard, which posed a challenge for Epting Events to design flow through the events and find space, since the parameters were already set.

The hot, dry July weather left the planners and the yard scorched by Georgia’s heat. With the event planned for the fall, the Nollers got busy rebuilding the pergola and landscaping their yard for the perfect wedding backdrop.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

After months of planning, Saturday, October 10, 2009 had finally arrived with all but perfect weather for an outdoor wedding. The yard was lush and green as Beverly had promised, due to the rain the weeks prior and rain throughout the week.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

The Nollers were fortunate enough to have paid Lee’s famous rain deposit weeks before.
“I offer a guarantee of no for $50 with the provisions that should it rain the client will receive a full refund. In 18 years, I only had to return it twice. Despite my luck, there were times I prayed all the way to the wedding for the Good Lord not to make me have to give that $50 back,” Lee laughed.

With a 70 percent chance of rain on Saturday, Lee’s praying paid off again. “It was beautiful and that $50 was the best money I ever spent,” Beverly said.

The guests parked in the horse paddock away from the house, and were brought by golf carts to the front yard for the ceremony. Guests were served homemade lemonade, minted tea and iced water as they arrived, and received a big palm fan while they listened to the ensemble of musicians: Adrian Gnam, Patty Baser, Jason Economides, Barbara Altman and Wendy Mullen.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Brad and Jenny wrote the ceremony themselves, and worked on their vows together. Jenny noted this as one of her favorite parts of the wedding. She had so many close friends to include in the wedding; she began a new tradition of “Honor Attendants.” She didn’t require they wear the same dress, but assigned each a color representing their relationship. Gold resembled family, peacock blue meant family friends, hunter green for her high school friends and terracotta for college friends. Jenny gifted each girl a shawl in their color, and following the procession they were seated in front.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Photography by Delaney Holliman

After the ceremony, guest were led through a garden archway and served peach Bellinis by uniformed wait staff, as they made their way to the backyard for cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Lee said, “The Bellinis would be one of the many southern touches that are always appreciated ‘Down Heah,’ and would be a special treat for northern visitors.”

The southern theme continued with the passed hors d’oeuvres of fried oysters, fried green tomatoes and okra, lamb meatballs with fried mint, fig and goat cheese crostinis during cocktail hour.

Earth tone colors painted the tables in warm hues and incorporated the nature theme of the farm wedding. Guest were seated at alternating square tables with gold service plates on a chocolate pin tuck cloth and round tables with iron service plates on burnt orange pin tuck cloths. Deep merlot napkins gave the extra pop needed, accented with large vases of Orchids designed by Whiddon and Smith of Macon for centerpieces.

The bride and groom named each table after their favorite spots in the world ranging from Akureyri, Iceland to Daufuskie Island, SC to a house in VA where Brad rented a room while racing Steeplechase horses.

The tent was lined with “father of the bride” twinkle lights, enhanced with three iron chandeliers.

With the menu being of upmost importance to the newlyweds, Epting Events definitely broke the traditional aspect. Dinner began with a salad of wild greens, mountain apple slices and almond figs, topped with a poppy seed yogurt dressing. Guests enjoyed a bison filet garnished with a lingonberry and shallots sauce and Walleye (a fresh water fish that is only available in the fall from Lake Michigan). The duo was accompanied by a butternut squash and goat cheese gratin with hazelnuts, Lee’s famous tomato pudding, haricot verts and fingerling potatoes. Jenny’s father, Stephen, picked a fine selection of wines to be served throughout dinner.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

After dinner, the celebration really began. The clear dance tent housed an ice cream Tiddly bar, Epting Events frequently sought after pralines made on site and a late night shrimp and grits stations. Guests definitely had the opportunity to satisfy their palate.

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Photography by Delaney Holliman

Jenny wanted to surprise her mother with a special photo booth tent provided by Delaney Holliman. Guests were given a Red Bull (repainted to say Red Burl, after their farm, Burlwood) before going into the booth for some fun photos. The bride and groom loved looking at the photos afterwards, and guests really came out of their shell.

In lieu of favors, Brad and Jenny donated to in the guests honor to preserve land in the La Esperanza area in Argentina, where the World Land Trust is presently doing work. The couple thought this was fitting after spending a summer there.

After the wedding, the couple relaxed in Sea Island, GA for a much needed break!

The story is featured in Soirées Southern Events
Photography by Delaney Holliman

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The Bridal Bar Presents The Best Engagement Party of 2010

Schedule of events:

Friday: At your leisure throughout the afternoon/evening check in to The W Hotel, Midtown location where you will be welcomed with a swag bag full of surprises and spend the weekend reconnecting as a couple and/or indulging with your best of friends. Kick off private party to welcome guests with runway show at the Princess Diana exhibit with one of the hottest bridal designers in the business!

Saturday: Morning: Power breakfast followed by Pure Energy bridal workout with Dolvett Quince, celebrity trainer and owner of Body Sculptor, Inc. Designed for guys and gals, Pure Energy is a FUN full packed hour of form fitting, pound dropping, and inch losing intensity with a live DJ spinning high power dance music!

Lunch: For the ladies, a bridal luncheon at 103 West including a panel discussion with the best of the best in event planning, décor and floral design, photography, food, budget, etc.

And for groom’s, lunch at STATS including big screens and information on honeymoon planning, tuxedo’s and bachelor party 101.

Afternoon opt-in sessions to include: Boudoir shoot with Risqué Boudoir Photography; couples massage with Atlanta Mobile Massage; custom gown design with Heidi Elnora & Chaviano Couture; cake tastings; dance lessons and so much more.

Evening: Epting Events is catering the cocktail party at Ventanas, Atlanta’s newest reception hot spot, showcasing event professionals in every field of expertise, combining their efforts to throw you The Engagement Party of the year!

Sunday: Indulgent brunch and closing ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton Downtown.

Amazing give-aways will be awarded at each event throughout the weekend including: A Smilebooth, jewels, custom tuxedo, Braves suite, bachelor party, weekend Stay at The W Hotel, helicopter ride over Atlanta, and custom cocktail dress and of course, the BIG engagement party and honeymoon give-aways!

Ticket Costs:

(EACH TICKET IS ALL INCLUSIVE: FOOD, BEVERAGE, TRAVEL, ETC.)

$289/per couple for entire weekend activities, including hotel stay with an amazing swag bag full of surprises!

*Eligible for 2 entries to all give-aways with participation*

$149/per couple for entire weekend activities, excluding hotel stay

*Eligible for 1 entry to all give-aways with participation*

$89/per couple for The Engagement Party only

*Eligible for 1 entry to the engagement party give-away only*

**tickets for each event will be available for purchase by friends/family accompanying a couple’s registration**

We can’t wait to be part of this event! Hope to see you there!

Information Provided by the Bridal Bar.

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